I’ll be honest; this is my first attempt at reading nonfiction (besides for school of course) in a long time. I was drawn to this book mostly because of its subject matter and because I like books that take something silly and treat it seriously. Benjamin Nugent, journalist and Elliott Smith biographer, has created probably the most comprehensive study of nerds out there with his book American Nerd: The Story of My People.

Nugent calls upon history, literature, sociology, pop culture, and his own personal experiences to define the word “nerd.” He traces the history of the concept and gives nerds a place in today’s culture as well. The book covers a wide range of topics and nerd activities from high school debate teams to Dungeons & Dragons and video games. Nugent also includes several examples of nerd characters in literature and television to help flesh out his definition.

The book succeeds because Nugent doesn’t take himself too seriously, injecting humor and a tongue-in-cheek tone at certain parts. That’s not to say that he isn’t well-informed—he has certainly done his research. He references scholarly works as naturally as he does pop culture and Jane Austen, and he includes interviews with several well-known nerd figures as well as his own childhood friends.

The book’s brief third section in which Nugent shares his own experiences with a nerdy childhood seemed unnecessary at first, but I realized why I enjoyed reading it so much. It gives the reader a strong emotional connection to the book and the comfort of knowing that Nugent cares about the topic because he’s been there himself.

Of course, he’s not the only one. At one point while reading, I had to put the book down because it became too painfully familiar. I’m aware that this book probably doesn’t have widespread appeal; its topic alone will turn many people off. That’s a shame though, because the book is the most intelligent, well-written look at what it means to be called a nerd I’ve ever come across.